Autonomic selective importation of contacts in a contact management system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for autonomic selective importation of contacts in a contact management system. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for autonomic selective importation of contacts in a contact management system is provided. The method includes monitoring communications between an end user and different contacts over a communications network through at least one external communications application and rating the different contacts according to frequency of communication with the end user evident from the monitored communications. The method additionally includes importing a selected one of the different contacts into a contact data store of a contact management system responsive to a determination that the selected one of the different contacts has been rated beyond a threshold value.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for autonomic selective importation of contacts in a contact management system, the method comprising:
 monitoring communications between an end user and different contacts over a communications network through at least one external communications application;   rating the different contacts according to frequency of communication with the end user evident from the monitored communications; and,   importing a selected one of the different contacts into a contact data store of a contact management system responsive to a determination that the selected one of the different contacts has been rated beyond a threshold value.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the external communications application is an e-mail application. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the external communications application is an instant messenger. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the external communications application is phone application. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a rating for the selected one of the different contacts is enhanced responsive to a determination that a corresponding communication also is received by a different contact already present in the contact data store. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a rating for the selected one of the different contacts is enhanced responsive to a detection of a specified word in a corresponding communication. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contact management system is included as part of a customer relationship management (CRM) application. 
     
     
         8 . A contact management data processing system configured for autonomic selective importation of contacts, the system comprising:
 a host computer with memory and at least one processor;   a contact management system executing in the host computer;   a contact data store coupled to the contact management system;   an external communications application also executing in the host computer; and,   a selective contact importation module coupled to the contact management system, the module comprising program code that when executed in the memory of the host computer, monitors communications between an end user and different contacts over a communications network through the external communications application, rates the different contacts according to frequency of communication with the end user evident from the monitored communications, and imports a selected one of the different contacts into the contact data store responsive to a determination that the selected one of the different contacts has been rated beyond a threshold value.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the external communications application is an e-mail application. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the external communications application is an instant messenger. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the external communications application is phone application. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein a rating for the selected one of the different contacts is enhanced responsive to a determination that a corresponding communication also is exchanged with a different contact already present in the contact data store. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein a rating for the selected one of the different contacts is enhanced responsive to a detection of a specified word in a corresponding communication. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the contact management system is included as part of a customer relationship management (CRM) application. 
     
     
         15 . A computer program product for autonomic selective importation of contacts in a contact management system, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:   computer readable program code for monitoring communications between an end user and different contacts over a communications network through at least one external communications application;   computer readable program code for rating the different contacts according to frequency of communication with the end user evident from the monitored communications; and,   computer readable program code for importing a selected one of the different contacts into a contact data store of a contact management system responsive to a determination that the selected one of the different contacts has been rated beyond a threshold value.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the external communications application is an e-mail application. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the external communications application is an instant messenger. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the external communications application is phone application. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein a rating for the selected one of the different contacts is enhanced responsive to a determination that a corresponding communication also is exchanged with a different contact already present in the contact data store. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein a rating for the selected one of the different contacts is enhanced responsive to a detection of a specified word in a corresponding communication. 
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the contact management system is included as part of a customer relationship management (CRM) application.